Antonius Rex
Zora
Repress of the legendary occult prog album by Antonius Rex, with an unreleased song ('Monastery') and original "nude witch" cover! Probably the most charismatic figure of all the Italian prog scene, Antonio Bartoccetti (Antonius Rex) began his career going to Milan from the Marche, forming Jacula, Dietro Noi Deserto (even with a single on Decca in 1971!), and Invisible Force (another lonely single in 1971). Not real bands but just a group of musicians working beyond the leading figures of Bartoccetti and Doris Norton (aka Fiamma Dallo Spirito). In 1974 they changed the name to Antonius Rex and released an album called 'Neque Semper Arcum Tendit Rex.' Despite a contact to release it on Vertigo, the label considered it to be too outrageous, with the black and white cover reproducing a 17th century "diabolic" letter and strong lyrics, especially in the devil letter track. The album was planned for release on drummer Albert Goodman's Darkness label, but it never went over a promo issue. So the first real commercially released Antonius Rex album is 'Zora' from 1977, on the small Tickle label and, again, with an outrageous cover that was replaced with a different one a year later. 'Zora' includes a reworking of Jacula's 'Tardo Pede In Magiam Versus' track; their main elements are as usual church organ, dark atmospheres, lyrics dealing with occultism.